Card display rack



Feb. 6, 1962 J. CHUDEK, JR 3, 5

CARD DISPLAY RACK Filed Ju1y'5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR.

4 JOHN Gum-K JR;

Feb. 6, 1962 Filed July 5, 1960 J. CHUDEK, JR

CARD DISPLAY RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. mv CHI/05K J2..

177' 7' ORNE United States Patent 3,019,540 CARD DISPLAY RACK John Chudek, Jr., 1256 State St., Bellingham, Wash. Fiied July 5, 1960, Ser. No. 40,907 4 Claims. (Cl. 40-102) This invention relates to improvements in rotary display albums or racks for the easy showing of such things as photographs, cards, pictures, drawings and the like. More particularly it has reference to a rack in which an assembly comprising a plurality of panels to which pictures, photographs or other objects to be viewed are se cured for display, may be pivotally suspended for the easy viewing of the objects and which panels may be successively swung from a viewing position at the front side of the assembly, over and to the back side of the others of the group, thus to cause the panels to be brought successively to the front and into viewing position.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a display rack of the character above disclosed, that may be conveniently disposed upon a table or stand and wherein the panels of the assembly are individually suspended in such manner as to be easily swung in vertical arcs from the front side to the back of the assembly.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel means of support for the panels, that permits their individual swinging movement from viewing position at the front of the assembly to the back thereof and whereby their viewing order in the assembly will be maintained.

Still further objects of the invention reside in-the details of construction of parts; in their relationship and in the mode of use of the device as will hereinafter be described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rotary rack or album embodying the features of the present invention therein.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a plan or top view of the rack.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section of the rack taken on line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the divided panel supporting ring at one end of the rack.

FIG. 6 is a fragmental perspective view illustrating the sliding latch for securing the hinged member of one of the panel hanger rings.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one of the display panels.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

First, it is to be understood that racks of this character may be made in various sizes, to accommodate display panels of various dimensions and for various articles to be put on display. However, in a present preferred form, the rack is approximately two feet long and two feet high and is constructed of plastic materials but not necessarily so,

In FIG. 1, the rack is shown to comprise a fiat, horizontally disposed base plate 10 on which opposite end frames 11-11 are rigidly fixed in parallel vertically spaced relationship. Each end frame is like the other and they are disposed on plate 10 in positions transversely thereof. It is seen in FIG. 2 that each of these frames has a width across its lower end corresponding to the transverse width of plate 10 and tapers slightly toward its upper end. Each frame has a pair of laterally spaced flanges 12-12 fixed to the outside of its upper end portion and these terminate at their upper ends flush with the horizontal top edge of the frame. Also, each frame 3,019,540 Patented Feb. 6, 1962 has an upper end extension portion 13 formed with vertical flanges 14-14 at its outer side which overlap with the top end portions of flanges 12-12 of the corresponding frame of and receive a hinge pin 15 horizontally therethrough thus to provide for the swinging adjustment of the two extension portions from positions in vertical alignment with the frames 11-11 to position outwardly and downwardly inclined therefrom, as shown at the left side in FIG. 2.

Also, it is shown, particularly in the perspective view of FIG. 1, that the vertical end frames 11-11 are braced by flanges 17-17 that extend vertically between the hinge flanges, to terminate at their top ends flush with the top edges of the frames 11-11. These flanges 17 are integral with or joined to the frames 11 and base plate 10 to give rigidity to the structure and each is formed with a hand hold portion 17x for easy handling of the rack.

It is also shown that a web 18 extends between the end frames, and is joined thereto and to the base plate to give additional rigidity to it.

The display panels 20 are as shown in FIG. 7. All are of the same size, and each is vertically suspended from the end frames as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Each display panel is formed at its opposite ends, adjacent its top edge with a projecting ear 21 and these are seated in semi-circular seats 22-22 that are permanently fixed to the inside surfaces of the end frames 11-11 adjacent their top edges, thus to hold the panels in suspension, as in FIGS. 2 and 4, between the end frames. All panels are of the same dimensions and can be suspended in a group of from six to twelve. Pictures or photographs, for display, may be applied to opposite faces of each panel as in FIG. 1 and, in the normal use of the device, the panels may be successively brought to viewing position by swinging the outermost panel upwardly and over the group, from the front side to the back side thereof, as indicated by the circularly directed arrow 25 in FIG. 4.

The ears 21 which support the panels individually in the upwardly facing semi-circular seats are retained against displacement from panel supporting positions by the complemental portions 22 of the circular seat; these parts being fixed to the inside surfaces of the extension portions 13 of the side frames. It will be understood, by reference to FIGS. 4 and 7, that the two semi-circular seat forming portions are separable along the horizontal plane of the top edges of the frame, when the upper semicircular portions are swung outwardly for the application to or removal of panels from the rack. When these hinged parts are swung back to alignment with the end frames, as in FIG. 2, they may be retained there by re leasable sliding latch members in the form of flat plates 30 that are vertically slidable in guides 31 between the hinges into and from pockets 32 in the upper ends of the side frames, as shown in sectional detail in FIG. 2. Lugs 33 are formed on these slides near their top edges for their easy adjustment.

Pictures, cards or photographs may be fixed flatly to the faces of the panels by any suitable means such as corner tabs, tacks or the like.

Such devices provide for the quick easy and satisfactory showing of objects, and also provide for showing them in a predetermined sequence so long as the panel remains in the same order.

To replace or change panels 20, it is only required that the slides 30 be pulled up out of the pockets 32 and the parts 13 be swung to outer positions, thus to per mit the panels to be lifted out,

What I claim as new is:

1. A display rack of the character described eomprising a frame structure including a base plate with two laterally spaced, vertical end frames fixed rigidly thereon and held in fixed spacing thereby, paired annular hangers fixed to the inside faces of said end frames in horizontal axil alignment, and a plurality of display panels dis posed between'said laterally spaced end frames in face o face relationship; each panel having a supporting car at each of its opposite ends and adjacent its top edge projecting into the corresponding annular hanger for swinging suspension of the panel; said panels being adapted to be individually swung from one side of the pack, over the same and to the opposite side thereof; said laterally spaced end frames being of equal height and each comprises an upper end portion that is hinged to the lower portion for outward swinging and wherein said annular panel hangers are diametrically horizontally di vided for separation of the parts thereof; the lower portions of the annular hangers being fixed to the lower por' tions of said end frames and the upper portions of said annular hangers being fixed to the hinged upper end portions of said end frames to swing outwardly therewith to open the annular hangers for reception or removal of the suspending ears of said panels from the seats provided by the lower halves of the hangers.

2. The display rack of claim 1 wherein a latching means is associated with each of said end frames for retaining the hinged parts of the frames normally in alignment and the two portions of the annular hangers in closed relationship; said latching means being manually movable for releasing the hinged sections for opening the annular hangers.

3. A display rack of the character described comprising a frame structure having ahorizontal supporting base with laterally spaced end frames fixed rigidly and vertically thereto and held in fixed spacing thereby; each end frame comprising a handle portion and having its upper end por tion horizontally divided therefrom and a hinge attach ing said upper end portion to its lower portion for out ward swinging adjustment, annular hangers fixed to the inside faces of said end frames and diametrically separable along the plane of the hinge axes of said upper end portions and a pack of rectangular display panels of like size disposed between said end frames and suspended at their ends from said hangers; each panel having suspending ears extended, from its opposite ends adjacent its top edge, into said annular hangers as applied to said end frames to rest in the seats provided by the lower divisional portions thereof, permitting the panels to be swung individually from one side of the pack of panels to tle other side in either direction, and a latch means associated with each hinged section and adjustable to one position for holding it and that part of the annular hanger that is attached thereto in hanger closing relationship, or to be adjusted in the other direction to permit the hinged sections to be outwardly displaced to permit the seating of or the unseating of the said panel ears from the hangers.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the latch means com prises a plate that is mounted for up and down sliding movement on the hinged section of the side frame and the lower sections of the side frames are slotted to receive the lower end portions of said slides therein for locking the hinged sections in normal positions.

References Cited in the file of-this patent 

